30 seconds to tell you how I feel
by Push Me
Summary: Cloud finds Aeris in the forgotten City 30 seconds before Sephiroth kills her. Will he tell her how he really feels?Complete summary inside. Give it a chance. Please? I'll give you cookies!


**30 Seconds to tell you how I feel...**

_**(Hey Yo people! Having Recently acquired a copy of Final Fantasy VII, I was shocked by how entising a PSone game could be in the world of PS2! I soon found myself in love with the whole idea of CloudXAeris romance story, and was devastated when Sephiroth...((THAT BASTARD!))... killed her in the Forgotten City.**_

_**So here we are, a oneshot fanfic to represent what I feel Cloud felt upon seeing Aeris the 30 seconds before she died, and the argument with Sephiroth afterwords... You may be confused by who's with him, but my party at the time was Cloud, Vincent, Cid, So they'll be in it...Kinda... There's little actual speech, and a lot of memories, so f you don't like that stuff, take it somewhere else...**_

_**PUSH ME, OUT!)**_

* * *

**30 Seconds to tell you how I feel...**

* * *

He ran down the final flight of stairs, and there she was... kneeling, eyes closed, as though completely unaware of his presense. He sighed, openly relieved that she was safe, having played in his mind the millions of possible outcomes had Sephiroth beat them to her... 

He motioned for Vince and Sid to stay as he began to step over the conviently placed pillars, crossing the shallow waters to the altar at which she was praying, somehow keeping himself from calling out to her, disturbing her from her peaceful silence. It was luck that had beat Sephiroth, the same luck that had brought them together in the first place...

_''Get out of here!'' Cloud yelled, causing people within earshot to turn and face him, ''Everybody, RUN! The reactors gonna blow!'' _

_This had the desired affect, as people began screaming and running for cover, as far away from the Shinra Mako reactor as possible._

_''Didn't you hear me?'' _

_He called again, as he spotted a petit figure of a flower girl behind him, strolling casually, looking round puzzled at the panic around her. Hearing the man's scream made her head snap towards him, to see him waving his arms frantically._

_''Get out of here! The reactors gonna blow!''_

_She stood, stunned at the man's announcement, only snapping to attention when she spotted the shinra soldiers beggining to converge on the area. She turned and ran, looking back only once to see the man leap from the bridge, landing precariously on the roof of the perfectly timed train, leaving only stunned Shinra troops staring after his figure, rifles loose at their sides..._

_'We'll meet again' She thought to herself, before clearing the area completely and heading back towards sector 6..._

That luck...

That was the luck Cloud needed at a time like that...

A hurried warning being the introduction of sorts and building blocks of a more-than-friends relationship...

The thought he might have lost her...scared him... more than he would admit to anyone...

Their first meeting hadn't been in the BEST of circumstances...

Now that he thought of it...nor was their first official meeting, through the roof of a church onto her life's work...

_''You Ok?''_

_Cloud opened his eyes, squinting against te light flowing in from above him._

_Sunlight? No, that was impossible, not in Midgar... yet, it had the brightness, and purity, to pass for snlight to all but the trained eye._

_''Hello?''_

_That voice again..._

_He turned his head slightly, his eyes taking a second to make out the form above him, shading him from the majority of the sun._

_He gasped when he realised just who he was looking at...The flower girl from Sector 7..._

_He opened his mouth to say something, anything, a greeting, a snappy retort, a rude comeback..._

_Nothing..._

_The green eyes looking into his prevented it...he could do nothing but look back into them, getting lost in the wells of emotion...Fear, Relief, Happiness, Embarresement...all in those eyes..._

_Then she giggled..._

_Her eyes reflected it. When she giggled, they sparkled, making them deeper and clearer than before._

_''You're alive then?''_

_He sat up suddenly, causing her to sit back, so he could get a clear view of where he was._

_''A...Church?''_

_The girl smiled._

_''Secor 6 church to be precise...one of the only left in Midgar...''_

_He sread hs hands either side of him, getting a texture he was NOT used to, considering there were none in Midgar._

_''Flowers...'' He muttered, looking down at his hands._

_They were beautiful. Colour sprung out of them everywhere, and he felt embarresed sitting among them, as the effort spent growing them must have been unreal._

_''Yep...'' The girl next to him answered, ''Before you landed in them, the only ones in Midgar. They say it's impossible to grow them here. I said it wasn't. Although, I didn't expect them to be crushed by cute boys falling through my roof...''_

_He blushed, standing up and carefully manuevering from the flowerbed so not to crush anymore._

_''Heh, heh... sorry about that...''_

_He felt stupid. He'd just fallen through the roof of the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, and landed in and destroyed a lifetime of work...and all he said was sorry... not even a decent sorry..._

_''You're that guy...''_

_She said. She'd obviously been watching himkick himself, and wanted to break the silence._

_''The one from the reactor?''_

_She continued, her eyes never leaving him._

_''Ye...Yes. I am. Sorry about that... I mean, the flowers...''_

_She sighed._

_''No problem... I was having a little trouble selling them recently anyway...No-one seems to want flowers nowadays...''_

_It didn't ease Cloud's guilt, but it left the table open for him to mae a stab at a conversation._

_''W...What's your name?''_

_She looked up from the flowers she was trying to straighten, glancing at him carefully._

_''Aeris...Yours?''_

_''I'm Cloud''_

_''Do you LIVE here?'' Cloud asked, motioning to the church around him._

_''No,'' she shook her head,''I live with my mom, well...not my REAL mom'' she added, looking distant. _

_''I live in sector 6, not far from here actually. But it's pretty dangerous getting home...''_

_She turned away from him,clearly thinking hard about something._

_''Well,'' Cloud said, turning to the door,''I have to get going, Sector 7 can't be far from here. Do you know a place called Tifa's 7th Heaven?''_

_Aeris sprang round, the glee on her face unhidable._

_''Tifa?'' she squeked in a singsong voice,'' is she your GIRLfriend?''_

_''W...What? NO!'' Cloud snapped_

_''Didn't have to answer so fast. I might get the wrong idea.''_

_He blushed again._

_''Sorry. She's NOT my girlfriend'' He repeated firmly._

_Aeris shrugged._

_''Well, I've never heard of the place, but I can take you to Sector7, but you should rest somewhere first...''_

_She put a great act into rubbing her chin, making it all to obvious she wasn't REALLY thinking that hard._

_''I know!'' She said suddenly, making Cloud jump,''You could rest at my house! That way you can be my bodyguard and help me get home. Then tommorow, I'll take you to sector 7! Don't worry,'' she added, looking at the confused expression on his face,''If you do this for me, I'll go on ONE date with you, Ok?''_

_The last announcement shocked Cloud to silence. She looked at him eagerly._

_''If you have no girlfriend, it's ok, Right?''_

_He nodded._

_''Good, It's a deal! C'mon, my house is this way!''_

She had always been willing to put herself in danger just to help him...even if it was saving Tifa...

Her one competition for his heart and she was willing to give everything just to save her...

Not for her... for HIM...

Because she knew that Tifa would make him happy, she put him first, over her own desire to win him over.

In her heart, she knew she had little chance...Tifa was his childhood friend...Always had been them two together.

She couldn't drop in for two weeks and expect Cloud to love her, and yet...

He did...

He loved to watch her laugh, and smile, and when she teased him about anything.

He was too stubborn to admit it, but he liked all the attention she gave him, even down to being yelled at for no better reason than waking her early...

He stopped when he reached the foot of the altar...

She still appeared not to notice him, her breathing even, he could see from how close he was the light breeze lowing her ribboned hair around her head.

She looked so peaceful...He didn't WANT to disturb her...

But h had to... he had to tell her how he felt about her.

And he had to do it now...

If anything like this happened again, what if cloud didn't find her, and couldn't tell her how he felt?

When she first vanished into the forest, with Sephiroth stalking after her, Cloud thought for sure she was dead...That he'd never be able to tell her how he felt...

He had to now, or he couldn't live with himself if she vanished again and didn't know his feelings for her...

Although, he wasn't sure if she already knew...

_''Tee hee!''_

_Cloud turned away from the window in the Gold Saucer hotel, noticing the pink clad flower girl staring at him._

_''How long have you been standing there?''_

_She giggled again, and shook her head._

_''That's not important...'' She said, taking a step towards him, causing him to take a step back._

_''What is, however...'' she continued with a michevious smile, ''is what you promised the day we met.''_

_''W...What?''_

_''You don't remember?'' she asked in a sing-song voice._

_He shook his head. He remembered the sector 6 church, the conversation they had, and he had agreed to be her bodyguard home for the price of one..._

_''Date...'' he finished aloud, watching as Aeris stepped towards him again, the smile spreading so far she was in danger of chewing her own ears._

_''You DO remember!''_

_He nodded hesitantly, not liking where this conversation was heading..._

_''So...'' she began rocking on the balls of her feet, ''here we are...the number one date spot for couples all over the world...are you going to ask me?''_

_''ASK YOU?''_

_''Yeah... we're gonna do this properly. So come on Prince Charming, ask me out...''_

_She was loving the look on his face as he reddened, and he could tell. He really wanted to point out that she was the one who suggested the date, so she should ask, but his better judgement told him to just go along with her. His eyes traced his boots as he tried to find the words required by humans to ask a partner out to a place alone. I.E.a date..._

_''Erm...Aeris?''_

_She giggled, making him even redder. Why was she doing this to him?_

_''Yes Cloud?''_

_''doyouwannagooutwithme?''_

_''Sorry Coud? I didn't hear you...''_

_He took a deeper breath, still not looking at her face._

_''Can I take you out tonight?''_

_She feigned surprise, pressing her hand to her chest in fake shock._

_''Why Cloud! What EVER has brought this out?''_

_''Don't push it...''_

_

* * *

_

_So here he was, 15 minutes later in the Hotel lobby waiting for Aeris to make her usual girl-try-too-hard-appearance. _

_(A.N: C'mon girls...why do you do this to us guys? The amount of times Push Me has had to sit with a girl's Dad giving him funny looks while she was getting dressed... THEN you come down and say how WE were late... I hate it when girls do that...This is convincing Push Me to join the DARK side of the force...Not that being gay's bad...no offence...If I had a boyfriend it would be easier...)_

_''Ahem...''_

_Cloud turned to face the stairs, noticing instantly that Aeris had showered, and ATTEMPTED to do something different with her hair, then giving up half way through._

_''You look...great...''_

_He kicked himself. That was THE lamest compliment he could have given._

_''Oooh! Mister Strife! You are QUITE the gentleman!''_

_''Shuttit...''_

_''That's no way to speak to your date! No doubt your new to this?''_

_She looked at him, and he had a sudden urge to tell her a whole heap of stories on his personal sexual conquests and numerous girlfriends, but all he managed to utter was:_

_''yes...''_

_He looked at her, the joy on her face clear, and he got that sinking feeling guys get when their girlfriend starts a conversation that usually goes along the lines of: 'Do you love me?' God, I hate that... I'm 13 for god's sake! I don't know. Sorry... I digress..._

_''Well then I better teach you, huh?''_

_He shot her the darkest look he could without telling her to go do something to herself._

_''I'll take that as a Yes then!'' she squeaked happily, dragging him towrds the exit of the hotel._

_''Extend your arm like so...'' she demonstrated, crooking her am, and prompting him to copy._

_''Oh, Cloud!'' she squealed, placing her arm in his, and letting him lead her out of the hotel, towards the attractions._

_Arriving in the main lobby, Cloud headed for the notice board, checking to see what was schedueled for tonight._

_''Excuse Me!...Sir!'' a squat, wide mad called to him as he neared the board._

_Cloud turned to face him, wondering wat he could have done ALREADY to spoil his night._

_''Tonight is couples night,'' the man boomed in his deep voice,''you and the Lady go free on everything!''_

_''Really?'' Aeris gasped, dancing on her toes excitedly, ''Oh Wow! This is GREAT Cloud!''_

_''Enjoy your night'' the man concluded, spotting another couple and heading towards them._

_''Ask me what I'd like to do...'' Aeris muttered quietly, so none of the nearby couples could hear._

_''So Aeris...'' Cloud asked dejectedly,''What would you like to do?''_

_Aeris made a show of tapping her chin before pointing towards the event square._

_''There Cloud! Let's see a show! It's a Romance!''_

_''Fair enough...''_

_''You have to be more excited.''_

_''Fiddle-dee-dee! I can't wait to see some lameo in a suit get up dressed like a dragon and steal a princess! Let's go!''_

_''You know,'' Aeris stated as he dragged her towards the square, ''keep up this sarcasm, and there may not be a second date!''_

_''Oh Dear...''_

_''You could at least try...''_

_''Sorry...I'm new at this...''_

_They stepped into the arch leading to the theatre to a blast of trumpets, nearly knocking Aeris off her feet._

_''Congratulations!'' A small man squeaked, shaking Cloud's hand and bowing low to Aeris, ''Your our 100th couple! Your Prize? You get to play the leading roles in our production tonight!''_

_''WHAT?'' Cloud yelled, which was cut of mid-way by an excited squeal from Aeris._

_''C'mon Cloud it could be fun!''_

_''No!''_

_''Please?''_

_''No!'' _

_''Please, Please, Please?''_

_''No, No, No! We don't even know the parts we're playing! I'm not making an idiot in fron of 198 people!''_

_''Erm sir?'' the man pipped in, unsure whether it was safe to raise an argument,''You don't have many lines, and the actors around will be helping you on your way. You just gotta go with it, or make it up. Understand?''_

_''There, see? PLEEEEASE, Cloud? PLEASE?''_

_''Oh, alright, fine... You owe me big...''_

_''I'll make it up to you,'' she muttered with a wink,'' I promise...''_

_

* * *

_

_The curtain to the stage rose, leaving Cloud feeling rather...well... REALLY stupid, dressed in a purple princes outfit, standing in front of 200 people with no lines to say._

_''HAIL!'' called the Narrator, making Cloud jump a mile into the air,''ARTHUR! THE LEGENDARY HERO!''_

_Thecrowdapplauded and Cloud took a bow, aftercatching out of the corner of his eye an actor dressed as a king mimed one from behind the side curtain._

_The actor winked, then spiralled on stage in a ballerina fashion, stopping just short of Cloud._

_''Oh Arthur! My Son! The Legendary Hero! We need your Aid!'' He called, pressing a hand to his head._

_He looked at Cloud hopefully before adding,''what say you?''_

_''Oh! Erm...Yes father! What must I do?''Cloud answered, amazed at his own adlibbing skills._

_The actor nodded slightly, showing he approved._

_''Arthur!'' he continued,''The Princess of the next Kingdom has been taken, by the Evil Dragon!''_

_The crowd gasped collectively._

_''And it is up to you, Arthur, to save her!''_

_''Why me?''_

_''Because the power of True Love conquers all!''_

_''But how could I love her if we've never me...'' Cloud began, before catching himself.''Yes Father, I will go!''_

_The actor smiled appreciativly._

_''Here, son, are or bravest night, and most powerful wizard. You may ask one, and only one, question to both.''_

_''Ok'' Cloud acknowledged, taking a step towards the knight as he spoke._

_''HAIL ARTHUR!'' called the knight,''THE LEGENDARY HERO! How can a I, a lowly night help your quest?''_

_Cloud thought for a second on what aknight would know on defeaing a dragon. An Evil Dragon for that matter._

_''Sir knight,'' he spoke,''What is the Dragon's weakness?''_

_The knight smiled._

_''A wise question, sire! The dragon's weakness is True Love!''_

_'Again with the love?' Cloud thought._

_He turned to face the wizard. He had already decided how to defeat the dragon, and approuched the wizard with the perfect Question._

_''Oh mighty Wizard!''he began,''What are the princess' measurements?''_

_He bit back his urge to laugh watching the actor struggle to find a noble answer to this._

_''Erm...I know not sire...I have heard stories though. I have heard HUGE tales if you get my drift...''the actor finished with a grin._

_''Excellent.'' Cloud answered...He'd ask her later._

_Theaudience gasped, andCloud turned to face atall man in a(bad) Dragon costume, clutching at his feet..._

_''Aer...Princess Aeris!'' Cloud called, feigning desperation._

_''Help me Clo...Arthur, The legendary Hero!''_

_The knight stepped forward._

_''Go sire! Show the Dragon the power of True Love!''_

_Cloud gulped. He knew his plan would work, but..._

_In front of all these people?_

_''Arthur? You coming?'' Aeris called impatiently._

_Cloud sighed. Might as well._

_He stepped forward, kneeling in front of Aeris, and he began to hover._

_Now?_

_People?_

_Loads?_

_Now?_

_Kiss?_

_Oh alright fine! he decided._

_He pressed his lips forward against hers,and it was all gone._

_The applauding crowd, the actors, the stage...gone._

_All that mattered where the soft lips pressed against his, moving softly with his, searching with the same passion his were._

_Then she pulled away..._

_He looked up, meeting those deep green eyes that filled him with desperate hope so many times before..._

_She looked back, equally regretting the fact that the moment had to end, but the crowd applause was too loud now, and the other actors were taking a bow. Cloud helped her to her feet, and they turned to the crowd and bowed along with the other actors..._

He saw those lips now, slightly parted, her breathing completely even.

She looked so peaceful...

He took another step towards her, his foot echoing more than he meant, and the green eyes opened and fixed on him.

She stared at him, her eyes giving away all she fealt in that millisecond of connection...

Hope...

Love...

Relief...

And...

Fear?

What could she be scared of?

Here they both were, alone, together...

There was nothing to be afraid of...

She looked at him deeper, never opening her mouth, but saying goodbye as forcefully as if she'd shouted it.

He stepped forward, unsure of what she meant, hoping to comfort her perhaps...

When a Blade stuck through her chest...

''Aeris!''

Her eyes flickered, looking towards him one last time...

The pain was gone.

The fear was gone.

All that was left was a look of Hope, and deep, deep Love for the boy standing in front of her.

Then her eyes closed...

He would never again see them open in the morning as he so often saw whan he awoke early...

Neveragain fill with tears...

Never sparkle when she laughed...

Never contort with Rage...

He ran forward, catching her limp form before it hit the ground.

Her hair had fallen out of it's ribbon, and was strewn everywhere.

It was so soft...

_Ping..._

Cloud looked around tosee the ''Useless'' Materia Aeris showed him at her house bouncing lightly off the altar, onto the steps over the stream.

_Ping...Ping...Ping...Splash..._

Now that was gone too...

He let his tears flow into the soft locks of brown in his hands, until the voice he so hated spoke above him.

''The Plan is in motion...She has become part of the Planet...Soon she will become part of me. This is for the good of the planet...the good of the Ancients that I...''

''Shut up...'' Cloud hissed, anger and hatred filling his insides as the limp form in his hands seemed to become lighter.''Shut up, Shut up, SHUT UP!''

''What's wrong with you?'' Sephiroth muttered, turning away from the altar to face Cloud.''She feels no pain. She should be happy that she will be pat of me...''

''SHUT UP! You're always going on about how you're doing this for the planet! How she'll feel no pain!''

Cloud stood, still holding the light form of Aeris in his arms.

''WHAT ABOUT MY PAIN?  
My eyes are streaming,  
My throat's dry,  
Aeris is gone! Gone for good!  
She's never gonna laugh again! Or cry! Or get angry!  
You took away someone I loved Sephiroth!''

Sephiroth staggered for a second, confusion spread all over his features, momentairily replaced by a confident smirk again.

''It was clever of you to pretend you were sad...''

''PRETEND!''

''And now you're pretendidng to be angry.''

Cloud glared at him, lowering aeris to the floor and reaching for the Sword at his back. How could Sephiroth think he was pretending?

''You had me fooled for a moment...But you can't feel emotion. Because Cloud you are, and will always be...''

He retrieved his blade from the floor in front of him, and leaped into the air, out of site and reach of cloud's protests and yells.

Cloud however, heard his final comment as clear as if he was standing next to him...

''A puppet...''

* * *

FINIS

* * *

**_(On the Game, I cried my eyes out when Aeris died... The phrases 'hottest' and 'Best' Character spring to mind, but I really felt for Cloud...)_**

****

**_(Oh yeah, this story is devoted to the person who helped me write it Amy. Thanks Amy! Lovs ya loads! ;p)_**


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